Potentially Cool Uses For Nintendo Switch 2’s Virtual Boy

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Nintendo has often taken big risks with its video game consoles and games. Releasing the NES was a gamble, especially after the video game market crashed with Atari a few years before. But by selling the NES as a toy, Nintendo found success and became famous worldwide. Not all risks paid off, though – the Virtual Boy, a 3D console released in 1995, wasn’t a success.

The Virtual Boy, a gaming system that was quickly discontinued after its release, led to the cancellation of many planned games. Now, after decades, Nintendo plans to bring it back as an add-on for the Switch 2 in 2026, making games available through their online service. At $100, it’s a pricey accessory considering the limited number of games currently available. To make it a worthwhile purchase for players, Nintendo could explore ways to expand its game library and keep the accessory relevant.

Make New Games

If Indies Can Do It…

Nintendo’s new device would benefit from longer-term support than the original Virtual Boy received. The Virtual Boy only had twenty-two games released across all regions before being discontinued after just one year. While it wasn’t a commercial success, the Virtual Boy still has a dedicated fanbase.

A vibrant community of independent developers created homebrew games and demos for the Virtual Boy, playable on emulators. Examples include demos of what *Star Fox* and *Mario Kart* might have looked like on the system. This proves that creating new Virtual Boy games is possible, and Nintendo, with its resources, is uniquely positioned to do so. Hopefully, Nintendo will release these games online, making them available for everyone to enjoy as part of a retro game collection.

Support These Games With New Content

Let North America Experience Some Lost Gems

A couple of Virtual Boy games, like *Innsmouth no Yakata* and *SD Gundam: Dimension War*, were only released in Japan. Both are still enjoyable today, and a fan-made English patch exists for *SD Gundam: Dimension War*. It would be fantastic if Nintendo officially re-released these games with full English translation. While re-releasing them is one option, Nintendo could also explore other ways to update these titles.

Nintendo often released special versions of games for older consoles like the SNES and NES. These versions would typically let players skip to later parts of the game or start with extra power-ups. Games like *Metroid*, *Ninja Gaiden*, and *Super Mario Kart* received this treatment. Nintendo could also do the same for Virtual Boy games.

Create A Virtual Boy Remix

A Powerful Successor To NES Remix

This concept builds on the special digital releases and reminds us of a great feature from the Wii U. The Wii U had two *NES Remix* games that took classic NES titles and transformed them into short, quick challenges. Players might, for instance, try to collect a specific number of coins in a *Mario* game or defeat enemies in a *Zelda* game.

The best levels in the game were those that cleverly blended different game worlds, like letting you play as Kirby within a Mario game. Nintendo should consider making a similar ‘Remix’ game for the Virtual Boy, building on that concept. While it might be more challenging to pull off in 3D, the Remix series deserves to come back, whether on the Virtual Boy, SNES, Game Boy, or another platform.

Add 3D Support For Retro Games

Like The 3DS NES Ports

The 3DS was full of innovative features, and Nintendo tried out new things through its online store, the eShop. They brought back several classic NES games with a 3D makeover, like *Kirby’s Adventure* and *Kid Icarus*. These games looked fantastic in 3D and even played a little smoother. Sega also re-released some of their old favorites, making the 3DS a real winner for fans of retro gaming.

I’d love to see Nintendo revisit some of their classic NES games and give them a modern twist! Imagine taking those original games apart and rebuilding them with 3D elements. Okay, maybe super-bright red graphics for *The Legend of Zelda* isn’t for everyone, but it’s a cool idea Nintendo should definitely explore, in my opinion.

Release A Weekly Video Series

Or Trailers In 3D

In addition to re-releasing classic games, Nintendo created short videos specifically for the 3DS eShop. Some trailers offered a 3D viewing experience, and there were also charming animated shorts featuring the Pikmin characters. While the eShop is no longer available, many of these videos have been saved on YouTube, though the 3D effect is no longer supported.

Nintendo has another opportunity to create unique content for the Virtual Boy, such as trailers and short films. Like other video offerings, this content should be available at no cost.

Bring Back The 3DS

Reusing Technology

While a bit ambitious, ideally we’d like to see support for 3DS games added. It’s disappointing to play classic 3DS titles like *Super Mario 3D Land* or *The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds* with the Virtual Boy’s red tint. Nintendo could improve the experience by releasing a new screen filter that users could install to get a clearer picture.

Many fans are hoping to see games originally made for the 3DS become available on the Switch or the next Nintendo console. A few games have already been released, such as *The Legend of Legacy*, *Bravely Default Flying Fairy*, and *Luigi’s Mansion 2*. While these ports might not include the 3D effect, it would still be great to revisit these classic titles, and future updates could potentially add 3D support.

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2025-10-15 05:05